Learning from home through games!
I’m not surprised it’s been more than six months since I’ve updated the blog. We have been working and schooling from home since COVID hit, and quite honestly, this blog really went on the back-burner while we tried to figure out this new norm. I have SO MUCH I want to share but so little time or energy. Well, tonight is the night!
Our life in games
One of my biggest life hacks during this time is to play games. Why?
It’s fun for the kids, and fun for me! (No more worksheets please!)
Games aren’t graded but kids learn how to both win and lose with grace
It’s actually educational!
And if you want to instantly change the dynamics of any game you’re playing, add a scoreboard if it doesn’t exist. #winnerskeepscore, add handicaps or remove the scoreboard to help level the playing field. Get creative!
Learning the rules of the game often is what makes the starting trickiest. I make the kids read it but sometimes they do get lost. YouTube is always your best friend when it comes to starting a game quickly! Watch as a family to unpack the rules together.
And pro-tip: never play a game two times in a row. Encourage the kids to try a new game next. You always want to leave them with positive feelings of wanting more when the game ends. Over-playing a game could do the opposite.
Both kids had exceptional report cards this semester especially Thomson who has really excelled in mental Math and a lot of it had to do with the games we’ve been playing. This is my list!
GEOGRAPHY
Ticket to Ride: First Journey is a great starter (6+)
Ticket to Ride full version is also great. It has longer game play but you can right size it by adjusting the number of points to win. It comes in over 10 different versions for Europe, Asia, India, Nordic countries etc.
Scrambled states of America (7+): This game is genius for starting to expose kids to American geography and history!
GeoBingo (4+)
MATH/NUMBERS
Mobi addition/subtraction (4+) and Mobi division/multiplication (6+)
Blackjack, played with fake money (5+)
Uno (5+)
Qwixx - love the fast game in this one!
mutli - really breaks down multiplication into a game based on tic tac toe premise
Honestly most games have math build into it whether it’s part of game play (Monopoly) or scoring (Qwixx).
SCIENCE
Wildlife Bingo (3+)
Human Jigsaw puzzles (6+)
Open ocean (6+) - this is one of our new favorites
ECONOMICS
Monopoly Junior (5+) or regular monopoly which we have graduated to
For Sale (8+)
PATTERN RECOGNITION
SET - my all-time favorite card game! Rated 8+ but Thomson loves it and he’s 5.
Rummicub or Mahjong - bonus to learn Chinese and get Chinese grandparents involved! (7+)
Blink (6+)
COOPERATION
Busytown (4+)
Outfoxed (5+)
Forbidden island (6+)
Castle Panic has a bonus of teaching storytelling and choices (7+). Junior version available too.
STRATEGY, CRITICAL-THINKING, LOGIC
Blokus (5+)
Chess Family Set (5+)
Labyrinth (7+)
Reversi / Othello (Rated 12+ but my kids started at 5+)
Battlesheep (7+)
Carccassone - (7+)
Catan junior or regular Settlers of Catan (60 min gameplay at least). This is one of our favorite games of all time! It also teaches probability.
Language
Bananagrams (7+) or scrabble (love tile lock design of this board)
Zingo (4+)
Untold - great storytelling game by the makers of story cubes for older kids (8+)
SOCIAL
Pictionary or make your own cards!
And, some of our all-time favorite card-game accessories
Hand-cranked card shuffler, kids love it!
Twin deck rotating card holders (One for discard pile and one fo draw pile)
Silicone foldable organizer trays for all your die, pieces and meeples so you don’t lose pieces during gameplay. If you know what a meeple is, here’s a fist bump!
Have fun learning!
Special thanks to my friend The Chilli buddy for her great ideas.
P.S. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
